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MMA Top 10 Welterweights: Where Does Johny Hendricks Belong?

Filed under: UFCJohny Hendricks did at UFC 141 what was once viewed as nearly impossible: He finished Jon Fitch.

And Hendricks didn’t just finish Fitch, he obliterated Fitch with a knockout punch that completely shakes up the welterweight division in …

Filed under: UFC

Johny Hendricks did at UFC 141 what was once viewed as nearly impossible: He finished Jon Fitch.

And Hendricks didn’t just finish Fitch, he obliterated Fitch with a knockout punch that completely shakes up the welterweight division in mixed martial arts. Fitch no longer even has a claim for the No. 2 spot in the Top 10, where he has resided for years on many lists (though not on mine), and Hendricks has a strong claim not just to be in the Top 10, but to be towards the top.

So how high does Hendricks go? And how far does Fitch drop? And how does the rest of the welterweight division look at a time when Georges St. Pierre is in the midst of an extended layoff? We rank the Top 10 below.

Top 10 welterweights in MMA
(Editor’s note: The individual fighter’s ranking the last time we did welterweights is in parentheses.)

1. Georges St. Pierre (1): GSP had demonstrated his dominance over the division so completely that even with a long layoff, he deserves to stay on the top. Unless he has a setback in his recovery from ACL surgery he’s expected to face the winner of the upcoming Nick Diaz–Carlos Condit fight in the summer or fall of 2012.

2. Nick Diaz (2): Condit will be the best opponent Diaz has ever faced, but I like Diaz to win the interim welterweight title fight in February. The big question after that will be how long Diaz has to wait for his shot at GSP.

3. Josh Koscheck (4): With two losses to St. Pierre, Koscheck won’t get another title shot any time soon, so he’s in more of a gatekeeper role in the UFC right now. Koscheck draws Mike Pierce at UFC 143.

4. Johny Hendricks (NR): The quick knockout of Fitch moves Hendricks all the way up to No. 4 in the welterweight Top 10. As an NCAA champion wrestler who hits hard, Hendricks has the right skill set to beat St. Pierre, although he probably won’t get the chance to do that any time soon. The UFC should keep Hendricks active against good competition, and if he keeps winning he’ll be ready for a title shot once the Diaz-Condit winner has faced GSP.

5. Carlos Condit (5): Condit likes to stay active, so it’s disappointing for him that circumstances outside his control led to him fighting just once (and for only half of one round) in 2011. He’ll be chomping at the bit for Diaz.

6. Jake Ellenberger (6): The silver lining of the St. Pierre injury is that it has given new contenders in the welterweight division time to establish themselves. It used to be the case that St. Pierre was No. 1 and he had beaten all of the other elite 170-pounders. But now the division has sorted itself out to the point that Koscheck is the only one of the five best welterweights after St. Pierre has previously faced him. Diaz, Hendricks, Condit and Ellenberger would all be new opponents for St. Pierre.

7. Jon Fitch (3): Fitch fought twice in 2011, his draw with B.J. Penn and his loss to Hendricks. Once viewed as a guy who just wins and wins consistently, Fitch hasn’t won since he beat Thiago Alves in August of 2010.

8. Rory MacDonald (7): MacDonald should dispatch Che Mills in March, and after that he’d make a lot of sense as a future opponent for Hendricks or Ellenberger. Someone from that group will emerge as a welterweight title contender in late 2012 or early 2013.

9. B.J. Penn (8): Penn is taking some time off following his loss to Diaz, and there’s been talk that he just doesn’t have the desire to fight anymore. But when he’s on his game he’s still one of the elite mixed martial artists at either 155 or 170 pounds.

10. Jake Shields (9): With losses to St. Pierre and Ellenberger, Shields went 0-2 in 2011. He should get started with a much better 2012 by beating Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144.

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UFC 141 Medical Suspensions: Lesnar Gets 6 Months, Takes Out Frustrations on Cameraman

(I bet if that cameraman had been The Undertaker, Lesnar would have just let him do his job. Video props via MiddleEasy.)

OK, so maybe the above video was taken in the aftermath of Brock Lesnar’s first round TKO loss to Alistair Overeem, but we imagine he had a similar reaction when informed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he must have an abdominal injury cleared by a doctor before he can compete in any physical activity for the next 6 months. Remember, given his recent retirement, the “physical activity” that Lesnar would be limited from would be his two favorite things, illegally tag-and-bagging mule deer and “getting on top of his wife.” Livestrong, Mr. Lesnar. BTW, that was kind of a dick move, shoving a poor cameraman like that. Way to go out with class.

But Lesnar was not the only fighter who walked out of UFC 141 facing a possible 6 month suspension. Nate Diaz, who, after out landing Donald Cerrone by over 150 strikes, somehow faces a longer suspension than that of “The Cowboy” — Diaz must have his right eye cleared by an ophthalmologist or will also be out of action until June 28th.

Join us after the jump for the full list.

(I bet if that cameraman had been The Undertaker, Lesnar would have just let him do his job. Video props via MiddleEasy.)

UFC 141 medical suspensions:

Alistair Overeem: Suspended until Feb. 14; no contest until Jan. 30 for cuts on right eye

Brock Lesnar: Must have abdominal injury cleared by a doctor or no contest until June 28

Nate Diaz: Must be cleared by an ophthalmologist or no contest until June 28; minimum suspension, no contest until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for right eye injury

Donald Cerrone: Suspended until Feb. 14; no contact until Jan. 30 for cut on lower lip

Jon Fitch: Suspended until Feb.29; no contest until Feb. 14

Alexander Gustafsson: Suspended until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for right tibia contusion

Vladimir Matyushenko: Must have left knee cleared by an orthopedic doctor or no contest until June 28; minimum suspension, no contest until Feb. 14; no contact until Jan. 30

Nam Phan: Suspended until Feb. 29; no contact until Feb. 14 for cut on right eyebrow

Junior Assuncao: Suspended until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for cut on right cheek

Dong Hyun Kim: Suspended until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for left foot contusion

Diego Nunes: Suspended until Feb. 14; no contact until Jan. 30 for cut on left eye

Manny Gamburyan: Must have right shoulder x-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic doctor or no contest until June 28; minimum suspension, no contest until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21

-Danga

UFC 141 Salaries: Don’t Worry, Alistair Overeem Got His Money

(“Go on. Tell me my tie is uneven. I fucking dare you.”)

Before his fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on Friday, Alistair Overeem‘s former management team convinced a Nevada District Court to issue an order that would garnish Overeem’s fight purse pending an ongoing legal battle. (Short version: Overeem and Golden Glory both claim that the other side owes them money.) Luckily for the ‘Reem, the Nevada State Athletic Commission chose to ignore that order:

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer told ESPN.com it was his understanding that the bond was not posted, therefore Overeem received a check for $385,714.28 — his bout fee and win bonus. Overeem will also earn a signficiant portion of UFC 141’s pay-per-view proceeds.

Golden Glory’s legal representation released a statement in response saying that they won’t give up so easily:

“This was a short-term possibility that KOI and Golden Glory were prepared for. Seeking the initial writ was merely the first step in a long-term litigation strategy that KOI and Golden Glory will prosecute in Nevada. The writ of attachment remedy remains fully available to my clients and will be sought as to Mr. Overeem’s future pay-per-view payout, which we expect will be more lucrative than his initial fight purse. Rest assured, now that we have had the opportunity to troubleshoot complex international hurdles – and without a long holiday weekend to contend with – future writs of attachment will be utilized to ensure that Mr. Overeem makes good on the commissions owed to my clients and his Golden Glory training team, who helped him achieve the success he now enjoys.”

UFC 141’s full list of disclosed salaries and bonuses is after the jump…

(“Go on. Tell me my tie is uneven. I fucking dare you.”)

Golden Glory’s legal representation released a statement in response saying that they won’t give up so easily:

UFC 141′s full list of disclosed salaries and bonuses is after the jump…

Alistair Overeem: $385,714.28 (includes 121,428.57 win bonus)
def. Brock Lesnar: $400,000

Nate Diaz: $149,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus, $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Donald Cerrone: $105,000 (includes $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Johny Hendricks: $127,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus, $75,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Jon Fitch: $60,000

Alexander Gustafsson: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
def. Vladimir Matyushenko: $40,000

Jim Hettes: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Nam Phan: $8,000

Ross Pearson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
def. Junior Assuncao: $8,000

Danny Castillo: $38,000 (includes $19,000 win bonus)
def. Anthony Njokuani: $12,000

Dong Hyun Kim: $82,000 (includes $41,000 win bonus)
def. Sean Pierson: $8,000

Jacob Volkmann: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
def. Efrain Escudero: $10,000

Diego Nunes: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Manny Gamburyan: $18,000

Total disclosed payout: $1,594,714.28 — 49% of which went to main eventers Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar.

The above figures do not include additional revenue from sponsorships, undisclosed “locker room bonuses”, and cuts of the pay-per-view revenue, or deductions for taxes, insurance, and licensing fees.

Armchair Matchmaker: UFC 141 Edition

(Come on, Fitch wasn’t out. He was just resting his arms.)

On Friday night, Alistair Overeem successfully gut-shotted his way to a title shot against reigning UFC heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos — and his larger-than-life opponent Brock Lesnar will likely never set foot inside of an Octagon again. But the fates of the other winners and losers from UFC 141 are still up in the air. So let’s put on our Joe Silva skin-suit and see if we can make some thoughtful matchmaking suggestions for these guys, shall we?

Nate Diaz: As ferocious as he looked against Donald Cerrone, part of me thinks that Nate is going to get rudely decisioned as soon as he goes back to facing wrestlers; guys like Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, and Gray Maynard have already proved that putting Diaz on his back is his kryptonite. But I don’t want to see that happen, at least not right away. Next month’s UFC 144 event provides two compelling options for Nate’s next opponent — either the winner of the Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon scrap, or Ben Henderson if he loses his title challenge to Frankie Edgar. Either matchup would give Diaz an ideal dance partner for another guaranteed Fight of the Night.

Donald Cerrone: Not to steal the thunder from Diaz’s masterful performance, but Cerrone looked like shit on Friday. Sorry, it needed to be said. The highly technical fight-finisher that we’ve come to know and love was M.I.A., replaced by an outgunned cowpoke who was as sloppy as he was tentative. Cerrone needs a rebound fight to find his mojo again. Setting him up against fast-rising Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson would be a great test for both fighters. Either Cowboy gets back on track against a solid opponent, or Ferguson continues to prove that he’s more than just a TUF-guy.

(Come on, Fitch wasn’t out. He was just resting his arms.)

Johny Hendricks: Beating someone as high on the welterweight totem pole as Jon Fitch should put Hendricks “in the mix” and then some. But like Nate Diaz, he should have to win one more before it’s title-shot time. Give him the loser of Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 and make him earn it the hard way.

Jon Fitch: All of a sudden, Fitch’s delayed rematch with BJ Penn makes sense again. It’s probably the most relevant matchup you could make for both guys, and maybe the only one that could draw Penn out of his post-loss hiatus/possible retirement. We’ve already counted their first fight a decision win for Fitch based on Stockton Rules; let’s see if the ten-point-must system is kinder to him this time.

Alexander Gustafsson: “The Gold Watch,” “The White Jon Jones”…”The Next Big Thing”? Gustafsson put himself on the map in 2011, slicing through James Te-Huna, Matt Hamill, and now Vladimir Matyushenko. My first thought would be booking him against Rampage Jackson, but ‘Page already has a date with Ryan Bader at UFC 144. So how about Gustafsson vs. Lyoto Machida, to give the lanky Swede a shot at taking out a former champion?

Jimy Hettes: In one performance, Hettes went from regional phenom to early front-runner for Breakout Fighter of 2012. Now carrying the scalps of two TUF 12 cast-members (Alex Caceres and Nam Phan), it’s time to give the 24-year-old a step up against a veteran. If the UFC decides to keep around the struggling Tyson Griffin, he could be a perfect gauge of Jimy’s development — though I have a feeling that Hettes would stroll through him, too.

Dong Hyun Kim: Maybe getting steamrolled by Carlos Condit was the best thing that could have happened to him. The Stun Gun we saw on Friday — who broke the record for number of crane-kicks landed in a three-round fight — looked like a brand-new man, just as comfortable on his feet as he has been on the mat. More than ever, he’s still a force in the 170-pound division. Since Rory MacDonald is busy through the spring, I’d set Kim up against Brian Ebersole, who’s 3-0 in his current UFC campaign.

Jacob Volkmann: Volkmann should take his ideas and political passion and run for local office in Minnesota. That way, we wouldn’t have to see him fight or hear him speak ever again. “Glassectomy“? Ugh. Leave the comedy to the professionals, buddy.

(BG)

‘UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem’ GIF Party: The Finishes + Other Highlights

(Thank you, Internet. You never fail us. Dancing Gina Carano GIF via MMAConvert)

UFC 141‘s best moments, boiled down to 12 animated gifs. Check out the rest after the jump. Special thanks to IronForgesIron, Chas, and Unfilter on the UG.

(Thank you, Internet. You never fail us. Dancing Gina Carano GIF via MMAConvert)

UFC 141‘s best moments, boiled down to 12 animated gifs. Check out the rest after the jump. Special thanks to IronForgesIron, Chas, and Unfilter on the UG.

Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar

Johny Hendricks vs. Jon Fitch

MMA Stock Market: UFC 141 – Lesnar vs. Overeem Edition

(Hey Mario, is that some Jacks Links in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?)

By Jason Moles

When we next see Brock Lesnar, will it be in the Octagon or the squared circle? What did “Cowboy” Cerrone do with the beanie Nate Diaz handed him? Where in the world did this Jimy Hettes guy come from? None of these questions will be answered in this forum. Instead, you’ll learn which UFC 141 fighters’ stock to buy more of, sell off, or hold. Even if you’re still too hung over to remember what happened Friday night, you’ll still need to make a few fiscal moves to stay ahead of the curve. Remember, money never sleeps, kid. Now go make yourself a Bloody Mary then keep reading to kick off the New Year with sage advice about the MMA stock market.

Alistair Overeem – Buy it like they’re giving it away for free

It makes no difference whether you think “The Reem” is completely unstoppable or flat out overrated — when he fights, people watch. Casual fans will be enamored with Alistair Overeem because he looks good with his shirt off (at least that’s why I think Arianny make that face) and the hype that can be drummed up by Zuffa thanks to his Strikeforce, DREAM, and K1 titles. For the next few years, as long as he doesn’t piss hot for some tainted horsemeat, the “Demolition Man” will be a main event attraction that will only make him more valuable with time.

(Hey Mario, is that some Jacks Links in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?)

By Jason Moles

Alistair Overeem – Buy it like they’re giving it away for free

Brock Lesnar – Hold

Maybe it’s because of his pro wrestling background or because he wouldn’t be the first fighter to say one thing and do another, but I’m not sold that Brock Lesnar is retiring from competition. Some have suggested that once the larger-than-life beef jerky spokesman’s body and ego heal, he may decide otherwise and squeeze into his 4XL gloves one last time. Others, like UFC president Dana White, have pointed out that with the money he’s made over the years and what he has accomplished in such a short amount of time, Brock has nothing left to prove. Whatever side of the fence you sit on, don’t make any moves. If he comes back, you’ll be happy you didn’t bail, and if he shows up on RAW some Monday night in the not too distant future, I’m sure some booger-eating wrestling fan would be more than happy to take that stock off your hands.

Nate Diaz – Buy

What did I tell you? After dominating Donald Cerrone for three full rounds, people might start taking the Stockton native a bit more seriously. Nate Diaz played New York Giants to “Cowboy” Cerrone’s New England Patriots by spoiling a 5-0 run in 2011, and he enjoyed every minute of it. To borrow a line from his UFC 141 opponent, “The dude’s a warrior.” Look for Diaz to appear on a few broadcast TV events in 2012, as the UFC needs to showcase exciting fighters, which is the only kind Nate knows how to be. Winner of five FOTN and three SOTN bonuses, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt is the type of guy who’s always in high demand, driving the price up. Get in now before he throws his beanie “in the mix” (or, you know, just hands it to someone after destroying them).

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone – Buy

Since Donald Cerrone first stepped foot into the cage, only one guy has had his number, which is hardly a fault considering Ben Henderson is now heading to Japan where he’ll face UFC Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. In 2011 alone, the Jackson’s MMA product fought four times more than GSP, winning all but one of his matches. So when he says he’s down to fight whenever, you know he honestly means it. You shouldn’t let a bad night in the Octagon shake your confidence in the future professional bull rider.

Jon Fitch – Zzzzzzzzz (Now he’s the one sleeping!)

It’s about time Jon Fitch was in an exciting match. According to the latest UFC Magazine, Fitch has landed 1,973 strikes in UFC competition — more than anyone in the promotion’s history. After his fight Saturday night in Vegas, he’s still landed 1,973 punches. Pay no attention to those who tell you, “He got caught, that’s all.” A loss is a loss here. He’ll never be a UFC champion, although he’s a superb talent. He won’t fight his teammates nor will he and Dana White ever go catch a movie together. Dump everything you have.

Johny Hendricks – Buy

With an impressive 12-1 record, Hendricks is headed in the right direction at the right pace. Buy a few hundred shares of Hendricks Fight Sports at a modest price and watch for the dividends to mount. KO’ing John Fitch is a win he can hang his hat on, something that adds a welcome pop to his highlight reel for PPV trailers. 2012 will bring a wild range of match ups in the Welterweight division with GSP nursing his wounds. It’s not incredibly out of the realm of possibility for the two-time NCAA National champion to get a title shot.

Vladimir Matyushenko – Sell it like a dog with fleas

Some things get better with age: denim, fine wine, Halle Berry. Some things however do not — and “The Janitor” is one of them.

Jimy Hettes – Buy, Buy, Buy

The most notable thing about “The Kid” is that he looks a helluva lot like that guy from ‘The Social Network’. The second thing that stands out about Jimy Hettes he possesses superior judo skills for a brown belt. Rogan commented that he is probably “sandbagging at purple belt” referring to his BJJ. Holding a perfect 10-0 record, Hettes completely annihilated Nam Phan, bashing him time and again on the ground. This may be your first chance to truly buy into a commodity while the groundwork is still being laid. UFC Champion, 2012?

Nam Phan – Dump it like your autographed picture of Carrot Top

Sorry, I guess an Asian brother can’t get no love, Nam. You may have beat Leonard Garcia twice, but you fail to execute a logical gameplan against almost everyone and just can’t seem how to get a win against an opponent worthy of mentioning. It was fun while it lasted, but we can’t keep our money tied up in your services any longer.